March is wrapping up, and D.C. is mad for basketball and cherry blossoms.
Here's how to spend your weekend around the District:
It's Almost Peak Bloom
Peak bloom is right around the corner, according to forecasters — That also means that many trees are already flowering.
Here's everything you need to know about the Cherry Blossom Festival and how to spend a whole day in blooms.
February 28 through April 21
1839 7th St. NW Washington, D.C.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Slurp down ramen and floral-themed drinks. The D.C. hot spot has hosted various other themed bars in the past, featuring Game of Thrones, Royal Wedding and Christmas themes.
"In Peak Bloom" at ARTECHOUSE
Through May 27
1238 Maryland Avenue Southwest
The larger-than-life main exhibit allows you to interact with a swirling cherry blossom cloud, while other rooms feature live plants that respond to your touch and augmented reality stories. Adult tickets start at $15.
March Madness Deals
- America Eats Tavern (3139 M Street NW) will offer social hour prices including snacks, $6 drafts and wine and $7 cocktails during games
- Buffalo Billards (1330 19th St. NW) sells $22 buckets of Bud Light during every game.
- Franklin Hall (1348 Florida Ave. NW) has $4 Narragansett pints and $8 liters during all March Madness games
- Jack Rose Dining Saloon (2007 18th St. NW) offers $5 highball cocktails, $5 drafts and half-priced sliders on the covered terrace
- Penn Commons (700 6th St. NW) has a $5 happy hour from 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and all-day happy hour on Sunday
- Tommy Joe's (7940 Norfolk Ave., Bethesda, Maryland) has a selection of bar food specials, $3 Blue Moon drafts and discounted pitchers during all games alongside daily happy hour from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- The Big Stick (20 M St. SE) is selling 50-cent wings all throughout the tournament.
- The Ugly Mug (723 8th St. SE) on Thursdays through Sundays during the tournament has $4-5 pints and $30 Miller Lite towers.
- Union Pub (201 Massachusetts Ave. NE) on every game day offers $14 Bud Light and Union Pub Lager pitchers, $15 Bud and Bud Light buckets and $13 Carlsberg buckets, along with its daily specials.
Weekend
JFL New Faces Audition Showcases
Friday, 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, 7:30 and 10 p.m.
The DC Improv Comedy Club (1140 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, D.C.)
Catch up-and-coming comedians audition for Montreal's prestigious Just for Laughs Comedy Festival.
Friday
Daybreaker DC // Cherry Blossom Sunrise
6 a.m.
Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum & Portrait Gallery
Start your day with some yoga then dance until 9 a.m. Organizers suggest wearing florals and cherry blossom pinks. Tickets for the dance portion cost $25 plus fees.
La Grande Fête
7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
La Maison Française at the French Embassy (4101 Reservoir Rd, NW)
Celebrate Francophone culture, film, food and drink. Tickets cost $40 and include two hours of samples.
Saturday
Free Pick
Blossom Kite Festival
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Washington Monument, near 17th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
Bring your own kite or let you child make a kite at the annual Blossom Kite Festival on the grounds of the Washington Monument. See the spring sky filled with colorful kites. This event is free.
Free Pick
Empresses Exhibition Opening Day
12–5 p.m.
Freer|Sackler Gallery
The Freer|Sackler galleries are set to open "Empresses of China's Forbidden City, 1644-1912" this weekend with a celebration fit for kings and queens. Taste recipes from the Chinese imperial court, listen to classical music performances or enjoy gallery talks in Mandarin and English. There are kid-friendly activities, too.
Free Pick
Film Festival: Women Directors
12-9 p.m.
Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery (800 G St NW, Washington, D.C.)
Binge-watch films from visionary women, beginning with a collection of films from 1912-1925 featuring the first female filmmakers. Discussions will be held with experts after many films. No tickets are required for the festival.
Sunday
Free Pick
Sakura Taiko Fest at the Tidal Basin
11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tidal Basin
Enjoy traditional Japanese drumming performances all day.
DC Kawaii Style 'FUNSwap' SwapMeet
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Culture Coffee Too (300 Riggs Road Northeast, Washington, D.C.)
Kawaii refers to the culture of cuteness in Japan, and this meet up allows newbies to score some of their first J Fashion outfits. There's a $15 entrance fee. If you have items to sell, tickets are $25.
Earth Safari: An Art Showcase of Biodiversity
7 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Hole in the Sky Collective (2110 5th St NE, Fl 2ND, Washington, D.C.)
A collection of artists will display their work exploring Earth's ecosystems. Organizers suggest a $5-10 donation for entry. It's kid-friendly until 9 p.m.
